Missing Balashram kids: HC seeks report

Cuttack: The Orissa high court has directed the director general of police (DGP) to submit an action taken report regarding the cases of children missing from different Utkal Balashrams — state-run childcare institutions in the state.The order was issued after taking note of an affidavit filed by the director of women and child development department, Monisha Banerjee, on Tuesday.While considering the case of a child missing from the Utkal Balashram in Cuttack, Banerjee was on May 14 directed to look into the matter, including the instances of children missing from the other Utkal Balashrams in the state. There are 17 Utkal Balashrams in the state.The two-judge bench of Chief Justice Chakradhari Sharan Singh and Justice M S Raman said on Tuesday, “A disturbing fact has emerged from the affidavit. It transpires from it that there are five children missing from various Utkal Balashrams in the state.”Without giving details, the affidavit stated that out of 57 missing children, including the one from the Utkal Balashram in Cuttack, 52 children have already been rescued since 2017. In all the cases, FIRs were lodged in the police stations concerned.Taking the affidavit on record, the bench said, “For the present, we instruct the DGP to personally monitor cases of all missing children from various Utkal Balashrams in Odisha.” It added, “The DGP shall be required to file an affidavit on the next date stating the steps taken to rescue the missing children with reference to the investigations undertaken by the police upon registration of FIRs.” The Bench directed for listing of the matter on June 25. On May 7, the high court had suo motu instituted a case regarding a child who was missing from Utkal Balashram, Cuttack since August 12, 2023, on the basis of a report submitted by the Orissa high court’s juvenile justice committee and directed ‘all the authorities concerned to take all possible measures to ensure that the child is located’.But the child has not been located despite the orders passed by the high court on May 7 and 14.

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